One day, I quit my job as a Fortune 500 executive to become an entrepreneur. Since then, I've co-founded ViewMarket, which monetizes and syndicates online video content, and now I'm the Executive Director of Tech Wildcatters, the nation's #1 B2B investment program for startups. I write about my adventures in business and I offer real-life advice from the trenches (minus the corporate BS). Everything here comes from a mixture of actual events, tips from people wiser than me, the MBA on my wall and the wins (and failures) I've experienced throughout my career. You can find more from me on my blog, GlassHeel.com.

Why Your Resolution Is An Epic Fail (And How To Fix It)

It’s once again time for the stuffy company shindigs complete with over-warmed-heat-lamp chicken and cheap liquor via limited drink tickets. Ah, the joys of the holiday season! And unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (or you’re going more for the hibernation approach), the ever present topic of new year’s resolutions are beginning to make the buzz at ugly Christmas sweater parties and maybe the occasional Santa-themed pub crawls.

And this year’s no different really. I’m hearing the usual resolutions reincarnated again for the year ahead. Those of you who can’t fit into last year’s winter wardrobe want to lose a few pounds (possibly with the addition of working out more and/or eating better…but not necessarily). If you’ve got an addictive personality, you want to stop smoking and possibly drink fewer martinis. Your fiscally responsible selves (or maybe you were irresponsible and that’s what got you into this mess to begin with) are aiming to dig yourselves out of the deep, dark chasm of debt or maybe you’re just saving up for something uber special. You want to go back to school, be more “green”, spend more time with your family and maybe even pick up a new hobby.

Just fill in the blank, and you have high hopes for the blank slate that is the year ahead of you. So what happens between 11:59pm on New Year’s Eve and when the clock strikes midnight? (Eww, okay I didn’t need that visual. Moving on.) You always begin your resolution journey with such fervor – you’re taking on the world and won’t take no for an answer, damn it! Until the going gets tough and the resolution gets going…resulting in your ultimate New Year’s demise. Wah wah wah.

So why are you a loser when it comes to resolutions? Oh, I’ll tell you why:

You’re not in it to win it. This is an easy one. You don’t really care. If you belong in this camp, then I give you permission to go ahead and quit before you even begin. On the other hand, if you’re interested in helping yourself (and possibly those around you, and heck – even the world), think about something that is meaningful to YOU. Don’t create a resolution that will primarily please others. You need to have some intrinsic motivation up in there or it’s never going to work. Trust me.

You’re all about the ambiguity. I’m actually kind of fascinated by these resolutions. You’ve set them – we all have. Things like “being nicer” or “more open minded”, “being more generous.” I always wonder how these so-called goal setters know if they ever actually achieved what they set out to do. Without being a bit more specific, how are you supposed to celebrate your successes at the end of the year?

You’re not blocking and tackling in the pre-season. This probably isn’t something you usually think about, but wouldn’t it be easier to achieve your goals and celebrate your resolutions if you first considered what might stand in your way this year? When I decided I wanted to learn how to make fifty-two completely new recipes (rather than merely saying “I want to learn how to cook”), I thought about what might set me back. My main obstacle was that I’m usually exhausted post-work day, and I realized if I waited until 7pm to think about my shopping list – I was doomed. I tackled that by thinking ahead and changing my Sunday afternoon routine so my week nights were filled with the joy of cooking and spending time with my husband rather than schlepping through the grocery store.

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